


Scars

by Sinistretoile



Series: Hallowe'en [63]
Category: Black Widow (Comics), Marvel, Marvel (Comics), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: 31 Days Of Halloween, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Autumn, Body Dysphoria, F/F, Halloween, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-21
Updated: 2019-10-21
Packaged: 2021-02-27 04:02:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,177
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22410703
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sinistretoile/pseuds/Sinistretoile
Summary: She literally runs into Steve Rogers...and finds something she's been looking for all her life.
Relationships: Natasha Romanov/Original Character, Natasha Romanov/Original Female Character
Series: Hallowe'en [63]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1127573
Comments: 2
Kudos: 35





	Scars

**Author's Note:**

> My lame attempt at Soulmate AU. It started out as a Steve Rogers story then changed it's mind.

Soulmates are all well and good. Intense, passionate love and sex for as long as you live. A deep connection that goes beyond words and actions. They don’t tell you about the bad stuff. About the nightmares. About the scars. About the wounds that don’t heal.  
She knew her soulmate was out there somewhere. And by the scars that littered her body and the frequent wounds she got that just wouldn’t heal, he lived a hard, dangerous life. She would wake up screaming in pain or terror some nights. Most nights were empty. And on the nights that her brain was able to dream, they felt shallow and vapid compared to the night terrors that her soulmate went through.  
It would be worth it. Every sleepless and terrible night, every scar, every painful wound…all of it. If she had him. But she didn’t. She’d found a place outside the city where the neighbors didn’t ask questions about the screams at night or the scars on her body. Those that loved her, that cared, hated her isolation and tried everything they could to stop it.  
Her sister’s picture filled the phone screen as it played her ringtone. “Hey sis, how’d Braylynn’s recital go?”  
“Wonderful. Of course, you’d have known if you’d have come.”  
“I know. But I can’t take the looks. And it gets too hot if I cover up all the way.”  
“She asked where you were.”  
“Just come by this weekend and she can perform her dance for me. We’ll set up a stage in the backyard and I’ll hang a curtain between the trees.”  
“She’ll love that.”  
“I’ll love that.”  
“We’ll call you Friday. Love you.”  
“Ok, love you too.” She hung up the phone and tucked it into her back pocket. She hadn’t been paying attention and ran right into the most solid chest she ever had the pleasure of running into as she came around the corner. “Oh sorry!”  
“My apologies, miss.”  
“Hey, wait. You’re Steve Rogers.” She smiled.  
Steve smiled back. “I am.”  
She looked around. “Mind if I buy you a cup of coffee to make up for nearly knocking you over?”  
“I was actually meeting someone.”  
“Yeah, ok.” She dropped her head. “Sorry again.” She cursed herself inside her head as she stepped around him.  
Steve frowned. She was dressed far too warmly for the temperature of the day. His alarm bells went off. “Hey! Hey wait up.” He jogged after her. “Why don’t-“ He stepped in front of her. “Why don’t you join my friend and I?”  
“I don’t want to impose.”  
“Nonsense. Throw in a piece of pie with that coffee and you’ve got a deal.”  
“Captain America likes pie, eh?”  
He leaned in and playfully shushed her. “Don’t tell anyone. Or I’ll get so many pies it’ll be the last thing I ever want to see.”  
“Deal.” They headed across the street to the diner that he’d been heading toward when they’d collided. “So what brings you here, Captain Rogers?”  
“Please, call me Steve.”  
“Ok, Steve.” She smiled as she hooked her thumbs into the belt loops of her jeans. The scent of Autumn was in the air, earth and dead leaves. Spice and she could almost smell of the chill in the air. Steve opened the door for her. “That didn’t answer my question.”  
“My friend Natasha wanted to see the changing leaves on the trees.”  
She slid into the booth across from him. “The Black Widow is into fall foliage.” She shook her head. “This is becoming an enlightening day.”  
The bell tinkled above the door. “There you are, punk. You took off on us.”  
Steve grinned at the couple approaching the booth. The brunette leaned down and kissed him, sweet and solid on the lips then made him scoot to the inside. “Sorry, Buck, but I could not hear that tour guy call me ‘Mr. Captain America Rogers, sir’ one more time. He’s worse than Queens was at the beginning.”  
Bucky kissed Steve’s cheek and settled into the circle of his arm over the back of the booth. “Who’s your new friend?”  
“Please tell me this place has good milkshakes.” Natasha dropped to the seat next to her. She met her eyes and all the air left the room. “Hi.”  
“Hi.” She knew she was smiling like an idiot at THE Black Widow but she couldn’t stop. She’d never met a more beautiful woman in her life.  
“I’m Natasha.”  
The waitress walked up as she gave her name. “What can I get you folks?”  
She plucked her gloves off. “I’ll order for the table.” Bucky looked at Steve who shrugged. “A coffee and a piece of apple pie with cheddar.” She pointed at Steve. “A chocolate shake and cherry pie, lots of whip cream on both.”  
Bucky leaned closer. “She’s good.” Steve nodded. His eyes trailed over the faint scars on her hands. They spoke to a lifetime of hand to hand combat. She unwound her scarf then shrugged off her jacket. Her shirt rode up to expose a puckered bullet hole scar in the same position as Natasha’s. Bucky noticed Steve’s attention then looked between his boyfriend and his best friend, who was enamored of their new friend. A light went off in his head at the same moment Steve made the connection.  
“And Natasha and I will have apple pie milkshakes. I’ll have apple pie with cheddar and vanilla ice cream and she’ll have pumpkin pie with enough whip cream to make it disappear.”  
“Well, I’m in love.” Bucky laughed at his joke.  
“Yeah.” Natasha smiled.  
Steve leaned back in the booth and she felt his eyes on her. “Can I ask you something?”  
“Sure, go ahead.”  
“Where’d you get all those scars?”  
“Steve.” Bucky stiffened. Natasha looked from her best friend to the new girl, who self-consciously hid her hands under the table.  
“I knew this was a bad idea. Can you let me out, please? I’ll still pay.”  
“Nat, don’t move.” Steve reached across the table for her hand. “Doll…where did all of these scars come from?” She laid her hands on the table. Steve carefully took her hand in his, running his thumb over the faint latticework of scars on the back of her hand. “You don’t strike as a master assassin or spy.”  
“I’m not. I’m computer analyst.” She slowly and carefully pulled her hand back from him. “They’re from my soulmate.” Steve and Bucky looked at each other. They knew that all too well. They had the fading scars from their time apart…before they admitted their love for the other.  
“So you haven’t met him?”  
“Or her?”  
She clasped her hands together and hid them under the table. Natasha reached for her hands and she flinched. “Sorry…I don’t usually let people touch me.”  
“It’s ok. I don’t either.” Natasha laid her hand on her forearm. Scars on the back of Nat’s hand matched hers. Her head snapped up in surprise.  
“It’s you.”  
“I knew I liked this place for more than the trees.”


End file.
